Chef/partner Out In Shakeup At The Savannah

A la carte

Chef Kenneth W. Collins has left The Savannah, saying differences in management style and focus led to his departure.

Collins, a former chef at Tumblebrook Country Club, was one of the three principals in the restaurant at 391 Main St., which opened last fall with a luxe take on fusion cuisine. He left the kitchen about two weeks ago and says his partners, Winnie Johnson and Cy Burke, have bought out his share of the venture.

``This has been brewing for six months,'' he says. ``It's just a difference in overall management style and philosophies.''

Neither Johnson or Burke would comment on Collins' departure.

Collins didn't want to talk publicly now about his plans but says he wants to expand as a chef and experiment with new ideas. He also wants to be more squarely in the public eye as a chef and entrepreneur.

Shangri-La

First it was the Taiwanese, now the vice governor of Szechwan province has turned up for dinner at Shangri-La of West Hartford. Don't worry, though; no matter your political stripe, owner Paul Hsia plays it strictly down the middle.

``We're very neutral -- this is America,'' he says.

The June 16 banquet was hosted by the vice governor, Xu Shi Qun, who led a Szechwan science and technology delegation on a visit to the state. At Xu's express order, the fire common to Szechwan food was purposely dimmed.

Among the banquet dishes were fish belly soup, beef sauteed with the fermented residue of rice wine, and a dish called ``double crunch'' -- a mix of pig stomach and duck gizzard fried together. There were fresh-water shrimp, presented live and then whisked into the kitchen to be shelled and slowly cooked in hot oil until perfectly poached.

While the political and ideological divide between the mainland and Taiwan is still deep, it seems there's no hard feelings when it comes to food. Just a few nights after the governor's banquet, the Taiwanese were back with a dinner for Wu Den Yih, the mayor of Kaohsiung, one of the island's major port cities.

Hsia said this meal was launched with cold marinated Dungeness crab served with a trio of dipping sauce and a cold platter composed off wine-marinated chicken, vegetarian duck stuffed with shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and jellyfish marinated in a Shanghai wine vinegar.

A soup of asparagus and king crab was next, followed by aromatic crispy duck and a dish of sole in which the bones were deep fried to a crispy crunch and the filets sauteed and reassembled on the frame.

Other dishes served Friday were lobster with ginger and scallion; minced shrimp wrapped in lettuce leaves; live scallops steamed with black beans and shredded ginger; and bamboo truffles paired with snow pea vine shoots. Dessert was coconut milk soup studded with fruit balls and tapioca pearls.

* The Hartford Brewery has opened its beer garden for the season. The outdoor patio at the 35 Pearl St. brewpub is open from noon until closing every evening. Call (860) 246-2337.

* Madeleine's Restaurant in Windsor is expanding its outdoor seating this week. Both the Madeleine's and Bistrot Gabrielle menus are available. The 1530 Palisado Ave. restaurant will also offer live entertainment on Fridays. Call (860) 688-0150.